The Everfree
by Stormyy Cat
Summary: Winter Haiku was visiting Canterlot from Las Pegasus, and she befriends a vendor there. She offers to work for him, and on the first day, she's taking a customer's order, and BAM! The customer claims her mother was kidnapped. Should they help her? More importantly, should they BELIEVE her? Don't like MLP (My little Pony) don't read. Fanmade. WE DO NOT OWN MLP!
1. Character References

Name: Lavender Breeze

Looks: A light blue coat, lavender mane, blue eyes.

Species: Unicorn

Cutie Mark: A mint leaf and a daisy.

Personality: Very calm and patient, gets frightened easily frightened, she will get angry and start shouting as loud as she freakin can and will blast their eardrums off. Enjoys tea.

Age: 23

Backstory: She was raised in the Everfree forest by Zecora, because Zecora found the abandoned filly in the forest, and she learned the art of healing with herbs. However, she decided to move to Canterlot to study magic as well.(FUN FACT:She actually hates lavender because she thinks it smells too strong)

Name: Winter Haiku

Looks: A white coat, light blue mane, blue eyes.

Species: Pegasus

Cutie Mark: A pencil with a snowflake under it

Personality: Impatient, Kind if you're familiar with her, Sometimes irritable if hungry or tired, usually very shy when first introduced. Defensive sometimes. Always wears a blue bracelet her parents gave her. Sometimes feisty. Loves writing and reading, like Cloud Runner. At some moments, is not afraid to do what she wants.

Age: 23 Backstory: She lived in Las Pegasus all her life. Her dad is retired movie actor her mother is a retired actress. Her parents weren't really a hit, but sometimes, when walking down the street somepony would recognize them. They never really talked much about their daughter though. Eventually, her parents basically kicked her out of Las Pegasus in efforts to get their daughter to see the world. So, she took a train to Canterlot, and is currently exploring all the wonderous things to see in Canterlot.

Name: Blazing Bolt

Looks: A light yellow coat, a darker yellow-orange mane, golden eyes.

Species: Pegasus

Cutie Mark: A flying comet

Personality: Outgoing, thoughtful, kind-hearted, Caring with friends

Age: 25

Backstory: His parents kicked him out of their house, so on he went, searching for jobs and apartments. Eventually, he found one in Cloudsdale, but no job. So, he was visiting from Cloudsdale to come to Canterlot in hopes of making money and a business. If you call selling apples a business, then he succeeded. He stays at Canterlot selling apples then goes back to his home and friends in Cloudsdale.

Name: Cloud Runner

Looks: A light blue coat, light blue hair streaked with white, green eyes.


	2. Prologue

Prologue:

A white pegasus mare, who had a satchel and was wearing a black hoodie, with a distinctive blue bracelet, was walking along the streets of Canterlot. All the merchant ponies were shouting, trying to get customers. "Apples! Get your fresh apples here! Apples! Only one bit coin!" One particular vendor yelled. _That sounds pretty appetizing_.

She walked over to the vendor. "Looking to buy an apple?" The vendor asked. The vendor was a light-yellow colored pegasus stallion. She nodded. The vendor squinted. "I've never seen you around here before. Are you new?" The mare nodded, surprised that he could guess so easily. "I-I _am_ new."

She stammered. The vendor smiled brightly. "Welcome to Canterlot! What's your name? Where ya from?" She was slightly uneasy, but she answered, "Winter Haiku. And I'm from Las Pegasus."

The vendor sighed. "What a nice city.. and a nice name too." Then, he snapped out of it and said, "I mean.. it's a lot better than mine. I mean, what kind of a name is Blazing Bolt?" Winter shrugged. "It's fine." She fidgeted impatiently. "Can I buy that apple, Blazing Bolt? Or should I call you Bolt, or Blazing..." She asked. Blazing Bolt nodded sheepishly while blushing and handed her an apple. "You can just call me Bolt."

Dew fished around in her satchel, which held all her personal belongings, and brought out a bit coin. She put it into his hoof and said, "Here, _Bolt_." He looked surprised and pushed it away. "I can't take it from you." He said. She looked at him strangely. "Why not? The apple _was_ one bit, wasn't it?" She questioned. Bolt nodded. "It's just.. you're new and.." Winter shook her head. _What a strange stallion._ She pushed it back into his hoof. "Take it." She insisted.

Bolt took it, shaking his head slightly. "Well, want me to show you around?" Bolt asked. Winter shrugged. "Sure, that would be great." _He's not only a strange stallion, but a strange vendor too. What vendor shows a new pony around? All I know is that this could take a long time…_ She followed Bolt, munching on her apple.


	3. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

"Now that you know your way around, you're all set!" Bolt said with an air of pride. Winter nodded, her hooves aching. "Who would have known that Canterlot is so _big_!" Winter complained, setting her hooves on the apple stand. Winter looked around, sighing inwardly. "Now I have to find a place to stay." She said aloud.

"Excuse me."

An ice blue earth mare ran up to Blaze, panting. She stood up, her green eyes slits. "I was looking for you all over Canterlot! What does it take for a mare to get cheap food nowadays?" she snapped. Bolt rolled his eyes. "I'll be there in a sec, Cloud Runner," he muttered, "Was showing the new pony around."

"Wasting my time, don't want explanations, or introductions." she said, kicking the dusty ground. Bolt turned to Winter. "Sorry, she's a customer. Quite demanding." He looked at the icey mare. "What would you like?"

"I don't know, a banana," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Sorry, we don't have that."

"I don't know, maybe the thing I buy everyday _and_ the only thing that you sell… _dear Celestia I mean an apple!_ ," she yelled, stomping a hoof on the counter. Several other ponies turned their head from whatever they were doing. Cloud Runner ignored them. She clearly didn't care about what other ponies thought of her.

"Here ya go!" he exclaimed, giving a shiny red apple. Winter stayed silent through the whole thing, and was still shocked silent. Cloud Runner handed him a bit that she had seemed to produce out of thin air, and stood eating her apple.

Dew and Bolt both watched her demolish the apple in a couple of famished bites. She stopped, and growled slightly, "What, never seen a pony eat an apple?" She demanded. Bolt muttered, "Not as fast as that."

"Hello!" Winter piped up, not sure what else to say.

"So this is your new friend, huh?" Cloud said, turning to Bolt. He nodded, giving the "move along" gesture, indicating that she should introduce herself.

"Cloud Runner, a mare who has no interest in you. Pleased to meet you… not." She said, muttering the last part under her breath. Still, as much as she whispered, Winter still heard the last part and felt hurt. _I know I shouldn't feel bad because she's just_ somepony _that I met just today, but it's not fun being told that you're basically not welcome..._

"Anyway, I'm off," Cloud muttered as she walked in the opposite direction of where she came.

"Come on, Cloud Runner! Stick around for awhile! Who knows, you might have some fun." Bolt exclaimed. Cloud froze, before turning around.

" _Fun?_ I have no time for _fun_!"

"And you have time to buy an apple?" Winter said, smirking ever so slightly. The fact that she had snapped at her and made her feel unwelcome, did _not_ endear her to the mare. Cloud glared at her.

"This is the cheapest stand around! Plus, you know what they say, an apple a day keeps the wing rot away."

"Who said _that_?" Winter questioned.

" _I_ did. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get some money," she growled, running in the direction of the castle.

"Wow, friendly isn't she," Winter muttered after a moment's silence. Bolt nodded. "She's always been like that. A bit bent on money as well," he said, putting the bit she gave in a little sack.

"Huh." Winter said. "She sounds like me when I'm hungry." Winter joked, and Bolt laughed. "Trust me, she can get pretty difficult when she _is_ hungry." Bolt said, chuckling. Winter said, giggling, "Oh, I'm pretty sure I saw that already."

"So… Where are you from?" she said, trying to spark up a conversation.

"Cloudsdale," Bolt replied, "Probably the only place in Equestria which has an apartment." Winter laughed again, and said, "Where is it?" She asked. Bolt pointed upwards with a hoof. Winter snorted, thinking he was joking again. "No, really where is it?" She asked again.

Bolt laughed, pointed upwards again. "No seriously, it's up there. Isn't that where Las Pegasus is?"

Then, it was Winter's turn to laugh. "No, Las Pegasus is on the _ground_ , so earth ponies and unicorns can live there too."

"Oh."

The sun was going down, as store owners packed up and closed their shops. Winter helped Bolt pack up his little stand. As he flipped the sign to "Closed", Winter suddenly realized she had nowhere to say. The sky was getting quite dark, and she needed someplace fast.

"Where am I gonna sleep!" she exclaimed, her wings splaying out.

"Don't worry, you can stay with me. I got a two bedroom apartment 'cause that was the only ones that had left," Bolt said, smiling.

He kicked off into the air, and looked down. "What are ya waiting for? Come on!"

Winter took a deep breath, before following him into the clouds. _Yup, he's the weirdest vendor ever._


	4. Chapter 2

Bolt led her to an apartment building up in the clouds. The building was very tall, and had many stories. All around her, pegasi flew about, their day's work not yet done. They stepped onto the cloud, and Bolt opened the door to the apartments.

"After you," He said, holding the door open for her. She thanked him and stepped inside. Inside, there were long corridors of doors. "This one's mine." He said, leading her to the apartment labeled "211".

He unlocked the door and walked inside. There was a TV and a couch, a kitchen nearby, and, as she looked in, a bedroom with a bathroom, and a side bedroom with a smaller bathroom. She later discovered there was a balcony.

"Wow, it's nice. One would almost think it's a hotel." She commented. Bolt shrugged almost apologetically and said, "I like to keep it clean and nice looking." She pointed to the side bedroom, "Can I..?" She asked. He nodded and gestured to it.

"Go right on ahead."

She stepped inside, and saw a bed, a smaller TV, a chair, and a shower, plus a closet. "Welcome home!" he exclaimed cheerfully.

"Wow! Thanks!" she faltered as she realized she didn't know where to go tomorrow. "Can I stay for a couple of days?"

"Sure! Stay as long as you like. I'm pretty lonely here," he said, walking to his room.

"Okay!" She cheered. In sheer happiness of having a place to stay, she hugged a very surprised Bolt.

"Uhh…" Said a very indignant Bolt. His face was tomato red. "Well.. g-goodnight." He murmured.

"Night!" she called over her shoulder. She walked inside of her new room and closed the door after her. She took off her hoodie and hung it in a closet. After taking a shower, she laid down in her bed and closed her eyes.

Suddenly, her stomach rumbled and she let out groan. _I haven't eaten anything today except for that apple!_ She made a mental note to have a big breakfast tomorrow, and fell asleep.

In the morning, she woke up with an aching stomach and dizzy head. "Urgh..."She grumbled. She got out of bed to the smell of… pancakes.

Her stomach rumbled eagerly. She looked in the mirror of her bathroom and frowned. _I look horrible_. She took out a comb from her satchel and combed her light blue hair.

After, she took out her hoodie and slipped it on. She opened her door and saw Bolt flipping pancakes. "Good morning!" He called brightly, seeing her. A plate with two pancakes already sat on the table, calling to her.

She gave him a wave, rubbing her eyes with a hoof. "Tired, huh?" Bolt chuckled. "Well, you're going to need a lot of energy, so eat up." Confusion bubbled up inside of her. "A lot of energy for what?" She asked, sitting down at the table. "What else? You need a job so…" Bolt replied. She slowly started to realize what he meant.

"Okay, what I mean is that you're going to help me with the store today." Bolt said, enjoying her "ignorance". Winter let out a groan and her head fell down onto the table.

"Why is a _vendor_ who I met on the streets now making me work for him? The irony of it!" She said, her voice muffled from the table. She lifted her head up. "Do I even get paid for it?" Winter asked. Bolt's face lost its cheerfulness and he said, "So I'm just a vendor?"

His wings drooped slightly. Winter regretted what she said instantly and she put her hoof on his arm. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that, I was joking.." She explained, averting her eyes.

Bolt perked up, his cheerful demeanor returning. "And no, you don't get paid for it." Bolt said mischievously. Winter let out another playful groan. "After all, you're repaying _me_ for all the nice things I've done for _you_." Bolt grinned.

Winter shrugged her wings. "I guess." Bolt pointed at her hoodie, and asked, "Why do you always wear that hoodie?" Winter looked down at it and said, "Oh this old thing. It's my lucky hoodie. I've had it since forever." She explained. Silence followed. Then, she remembered yesterday when Cloud Runner rudely put her down. "I hope we don't run into Cloud Runner again," she said with a grimace.

"Slim chance. She always comes to my stand. She says it's because of the prices."

"She _says_?"

Bolt shrugged. "Who knows, it might be for the company. Or I'm the only one who doesn't mind her…"

"Spikiness?" Winter guessed, and they both laughed.

"Yeah, I suppose." Bolt shrugged again. Winter shoved a bite of pancake into her mouth. "These are delicious!" She exclaimed after swallowing.

"Thanks, my specialty," Bolt said, beaming. Winter practically vacuumed the rest of the pancakes into her mouth. Bolt poured some more pancake batter into the pan. "Want more?" He asked. Winter nodded vigorously. "I didn't have anything other that apple yesterday." She explained.

Bolt nodded understandingly and piled more pancakes on her plate. "Thanks." She said gratefully, eyeing the pancakes hungrily. She finished them off in a minute and wiped her mouth with a napkin and said, "Well, let's get this over with." Bolt grinned.


	5. Progress Report on how we're doing

**_So! This is as far as we've gotten on "The Everfree" so if you read it this far, I hope you've enjoyed this and I also hope you'll continue to read it. Also, it really doesn't hurt to leave a review of what you think of it so far, as it helps us tell if we're doing good or not. ;)_**

 ** _(I said "I" because I took charge of posting this new story... -o-)_**

 ** _LOVE U,_**

 ** _Willow_**


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